PRESENTER: Engr Chief Ananti B.O (B.Eng, M.Sc, MBA, COREN, MNSE, MNIM)
INTRODUCTION.
Economic Infrastructure means those basic facilities and services which directly benefit the process of production and distribution of an economy. Such infrastructures are as follows: Irrigation/canals, Power, Transport, ICT (Networking Computing, Hardware and software, etc) services, Healthcare services (life-saving equipment), Financial markets (Banks buildings, credit facilities, managing risks, investment analysis, Agri-business, Technological innovations/Globalisation etc (Spacey.J 2017)
Electricity power supply services’ chain comprises of Generation (hydro, solar, wind, thermal etc), Transmission, and Distribution units. History of electricity generation in Nigeria started 1894 in Lagos with 60kilowatts. First authorized body to handle electricity affairs was Nigeria Electricity Supply Company (NESCO). Power sector has had been a tortuous, devastating and herculean tasks for both the government and populace (Makoju 2007). National power generation value has been within the range of 2500-4900megawatts as being sustainable against population of over 190millions Nigerians.
Electrification of Omor in Ayamelum LG was between 1987-1990early with four transformers (200KVA each) serving 61,263 population in Omor: Nkwo Oche, Nkwo Ocha, Omor Junction and College junction/Umuali
The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) was unbundled 2013 into 11no DISCOs/Distributors.
Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) covers Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi.
Source of Electricity Power Supply to Omor/Ayamelum LG.
Omor as a largest town in Anambra state is under distributor’s franchise service areas of Ogidi EEDC and power supply flows directly from Agu-Awka Transmission (Tcn) 132kv Station. This station has 1X40MVA power transformer which radiates out 3no 33kv feeders, viz: Agu-Awka, Aguleri and Enugu Ukwu feeders, respectively.
Characteristic of Aguleri 33kv feeder.
It covers vast geographical areas of excessive route length of 230.50km which transverses across swampy, forest, urban terrains. Also it covers three distinct axes such as (A) Awkuzu to Ifite-dunu, (B) Awkuzu to Nteje to Otuocha/Aguleri to Anam to Nmiata Anam etc, and (C) Awkuzu to Nando to Igbariam campus/Igbariam town to Omor. The feeder has peak load of 7/8megawatts technically implies all axes can never be on power supply simultaneously. This resulted into load management/shedding etc as Agu-Awka Tcn station 40MVA power transformer is grossly overloaded.
Potentials to be driven to their fullness Utilisation by power supply in Omor.
1) LAIP has Pumping machine as its integral unit at Ifite-ogwuari. This station is in charge of irrigation/canals for the entire rice production. It has installed capacity of 1400hp=1.044megawatts.
For Rice production to actualize its designed performance targets of 2/3 times rotational cropping annually, electricity power supply is paramount for its maximum utilization. In returns, creation of employments, food security, enormous availability of rice by-products(rice brans, husks, germs, broken paddy etc) that can be utilized by other horizontal/vertical industries, improved earning per head, boost GDP, Balanced socio-economic standards etc will be recorded.
Its commercial viability for EEDC: Minimum Projected power supply requirement (units)/ sales collection costs (N)…………151,200units/N6.03m per monthly
(b). This will also create another cash crops as varieties of vegetables due to irrigation services.
2) Giant Rice Mills/JOSAN rice mills structure (Parboiler, Furnace/Dryer, Miller, Processing/Packaging units) being the highest of its kind in SouthEast, Nigeria with operational capacity of 9tons of paddy rice per 4hrs and power demand of 750KVA=0.75megawatts.
Its commercial viability for EEDC: Minimum Projected power supply requirement (units)/ sales collection costs(N)…………93,250 units/N3.77m per month
3) Omor town(insert population figure) as the largest community in Anambra state has 70% teeming youths endowed with myriads of commitments and intelligence in creativities and innovations require at least 10no transformers with projected power usage/consumption 3.5megawatts monthly. Daily earnings per head at present among these agile teeming youth is above N1000.00 which implies the town is not poor since daily earning per head is above World Bank poverty indices/threshold $1.9.
Its commercial viability for EEDC: Minimum Projected power supply requirement (units)/ sales collection costs (N)…………206,600units/N6.35m per month.
This Minimum Projected power supply requirement will uncover momentous exploitation of latent intelligence embedded into the following economic infrastructures as shown below:
(A) Information Communication Technology/ICT infrastructure is untapped among these youths. Power supply availability will boost interests into networking services, computing, hard/soft wares, globalization services etc. There will be positive drift towards new modern technological innovations.
(B) Healthcare services. Health care services operating with modern medical technology (lifesaving machines) needs sustainable power supply including other relating bio medical/radiography services.
(C) Financial markets (Banking establishment, credit facilities, managing risk, investment analysis etc) are in dire need of power supply as to sustain its operational costs, Data integrity being online 24/7 and continuity of services delivery. This aspect will obviously boost Small-Medium Enterprises among the youths.
(D) Industrialisation. Good power supply will attract concentration of commercial and production industries (Pure water factory, polythene, Sugar cane, Bottling, Brewing, Agric Inputs/machinery coy) within Omor since raw materials, manpower and markets are abound.
(E) Agric business such as fishery, piggery, poultry, agric inputs etc will take their natural course thereby improving living standard of the populace.
Other relating units of rice/maize/cassava milling/packaging services will also emanate
(F) Waterboard system is inclusive.
ITS CHALLENGES.
A) Lack of accessible roads.
B) Lack of proximity of the EEDC office to Omor/Ayamelum LG
C) Aguleri 33kv feeder is excessively lengthy thus prone to series of faults.
D) 1X40MVA power transformer from Agu-Awka TCN is overloaded to carry such heavy and lengthy 3no 33kv feeders.
E) Meagre number of technical staff to manage these technical power infrastructures at reduced downtime effects.
CONCLUSION.
Consequent upon cheaper and safer operation and maintenance costs of using electricity power supply to driving other economic infrastructures and more so its impacts in full utilization of equipment capacity to attaining its designed performances targets whose Returns on Investment are enormous such as employment creation, improved Standards of living, sustained economic markets, boosted Agric business etc, all efforts should be geared towards availability and sustainability of power supply in Omor kingdom.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
1). Individuals, Groups/Communities can exploit the current opportunities created by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC) to Improved Investments in the Networks, Bridging of Power Supply Deficit, Improved Customer Satisfaction, Technological Improvements, and Better Service via the following approaches, viz:
a). Sub-franchising (referred to as Distribution Franchising for this purpose) means the business model applied by a DisCo/Distributor to authorise a third party to provide electric distribution utility services on its behalf in a particular area within the DisCo’s area of supply. The community, Groups/Individuals, through a registered association, may formally approach the DisCo to declare its interest and initiate franchising arrangements in the areas of supply, metering, billing and collection including additional investment in the distribution networks where appropriate.
b). Isolated Off-Grid Rural Networks,
c). Isolated Off-Grid Urban Networks,
d). Independent Electricity Distribution Networks (IDEN)
e). Embedded IEDN
2). There is urgent need for State/Federal Govt to enroute Transmission lines within Ayamelum LG since there is no such structure in entire Anambra East, Anambra West, Oyi and Ayamelum. Fundamental principle of electricity implies voltage drops in relation to distance.
3). All illustrious sons/daughters and industrialists are enjoined to embark on establishment of industries within Omor and her environs.
4). As matter of importance knowing awaiting huge benefits of power supply, there is need for award and construction of another 33kv feeder radiating from Agu-Awka TCN but will solely serve Ayamelum LG. Considering total projected power supply requirement in Omor and her environs.
5). Routine sensitization of general public to ensure 100% revenue generation in relation to energy delivered at every time t to curtailing commercial and collection losses. Gone are the days consumers/customers assumed electricity bills payment as national cakes.
6). Suggesting that the existing NEPA building in Omor should be donated to available distributor as official office. This will draw closer the mandates of the town.
7). Giant rice working at fullness will provide enough rice waste that can be used thermally to generate embedded generation to serve an enclosed business customers. For instance, Chikason Plc Nnewi never depended on National grid for constant power supply rather use palm kernel wastes to generate electricity.